McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Stock Rating Upgraded by Robert W. Baird

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) was upgraded by analysts at Robert W. Baird to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of McDonald’s from $335.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of McDonald’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Evercore set a $320.00 target price on shares of McDonald’s in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Piper Sandler set a $286.00 price target on shares of McDonald’s in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on McDonald’s from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $325.88.

McDonald’s Trading Down 1.6%

NYSE MCD opened at $268.05 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $271.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $292.78. McDonald’s has a 1 year low of $260.96 and a 1 year high of $341.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $189.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.77, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.41.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The fast-food giant reported $3.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.06. McDonald’s had a negative return on equity of 572.06% and a net margin of 31.72%.The business had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.19 earnings per share. McDonald’s’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that McDonald’s will post 12.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,763 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.36, for a total value of $769,108.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,760.48. The trade was a 30.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 5,252 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.32, for a total transaction of $1,493,248.64. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,198,930.88. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in McDonald’s by 27,036.7% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 302,891,546 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $81,874,614,000 after acquiring an additional 301,775,375 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,890,438,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of McDonald’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,359,276,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 30,979.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,596,340 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $806,917,000 after purchasing an additional 2,587,986 shares during the period. Finally, J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its position in shares of McDonald’s by 9,867.5% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 2,541,008 shares of the fast-food giant’s stock worth $776,608,000 after purchasing an additional 2,515,515 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More McDonald’s News

Here are the key news stories impacting McDonald’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s franchises in South Florida plan to add more than 1,000 workers, signaling continued local operating activity and potential demand growth in the region. McDonald’s franchises to add more than 1,000 workers in South Florida
• Positive Sentiment: McDonald’s is bringing back Spicy Chicken McNuggets for a limited time. The promotion could support traffic and customer engagement, though its short duration limits the likely financial impact. McDonald’s bringing back popular spicy snack
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted McDonald’s unified digital platform, which is nearing completion across major markets. Better integration could improve personalization, loyalty engagement, order frequency and restaurant productivity over time. Can MCD’s Unified Digital Platform Unlock More Growth & Productivity?
• Positive Sentiment: New and returning menu items—including limited-edition chicken nuggets, seasonal offerings and expanded cold-drink initiatives—could help McDonald’s compete for beverage and value-oriented spending. McDonald’s cold-drink competition

McDonald’s Company Profile

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafé coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonald’s serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships.

Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brand’s national and international expansion.